Electronic memory cards are being used more and more widely, e.a. to give access to certain premises or to obtain certain services, or indeed to make certain payments. An electronic memory card is essentially constituted by a flat rectangular body in which an electronic module is inserted, which module has external electrical contact areas on its outside face.
To use such cards, it is necessary for a card to be inserted into a card reader which enables electrical connection o be established between the various external contact areas on the card and the electronic circuits of the reader. Such electrical connections serve firstly to provide electrical power to the integrated circuit of the card, and secondly to transmit a certain amount of information and instructions to and from the card.
Given the wide variety of utilizations for such cards, card readers must in turn be capable of accepting various configurations depending an the utilization of the card. It is therefore advantageous to have card readers available that present configurations that differ depending on the utilization made thereof. Such card readers generally be required to be as low-profile as possible and also as low cost as possible.
In particular, a card reader must include an electrical connector device made up of a certain number of flexible conductive springs which are disposed in such a manner that each spring makes electrical contact with one of the external electrical contact areas of the card when the card is inserted in the reader. These flexible electrical contacts are naturally designed to be connected electrically to various electronic components of the reader to make it possible in particular to read the information contained in the card or to write information for the purpose of performing various operations, with the contacts also serving to supply the card with electricity. It will be understood that it is advantageous to have available an electrical connector device which is as highly integrated as possible inside the reader and which is capable of being used in different reader configurations, which configurations may have respective special cases adapted to their functions.
Circumstances other than readers also exist in which it is necessary to establish an electrical connection with a removable electronic medium provided with at least one external electrical contact area. This applies, for example, to electronic keys.